Thursday, December 14, 2006

New York is making a strong last-minute push to get the 2008 Democratic Convention:

Democratic officials moved into the final stage of deliberations yesterday about where to place their party’s 2008 nominating convention, with New York officials saying they were increasingly confident that the party would turn to their city for its convention for the first time in 16 years. Party officials said the decision — with New York competing against Denver — would be made no later than Monday, and perhaps by the end of this week.

The New York officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity for fear of jeopardizing the negotiations, said their prospects for winning the convention looked good, despite Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s reservations about his ability to raise roughly $85 million to cover the costs. Prominent New York Democrats, including Senator Charles E. Schumer and Governor-elect Eliot Spitzer, have been working to promote the bid within the Democratic National Committee.

Officials working on the bid have contended that New York is better positioned than Denver to deliver the financing, hotel rooms, entertainment space, logistical support and labor union cooperation that are needed for a successful convention. All that the city lacks, the officials agree, is a voter base that has not already made up its mind. “New York has every advantage except that we’re a deep blue state,” Mr. Schumer said in an interview yesterday....Yet some Democrats in Washington with knowledge of the two bids said that Denver had offered fewer clear assurances than New York that it could raise the necessary money, a crucial factor for the party chairman, Howard Dean. These Democrats said that Mr. Dean was very high on the idea of Denver and its promise as fertile political ground, but that he might conclude that New York had the better bid on paper....In a break from years past, party officials are negotiating agreements with both contending cities before making a selection, in hopes of avoiding the kinds of problems seen in the past. In 2004, for instance, Boston struggled to raise all the money it had promised to the party.

A conversation today with Democratic National Committee chair Howard Dean left Sen. Ken Salazar "concerned" that Denver might lose to New York City in the competition for the 2008 Democratic National Convention, Salazar spokesman Cody Wertz confirmed.

Salazar and Dean spoke for more than 30 minutes Thursday morning, and it ended with the senator putting the odds of Denver winning the convention at "50-50" — a less optimistic assessment than previously, Wertz said.

"He is concerned about whether or not the convention will come here," Wertz said. "It is not our decision. It's Howard Dean's decision. Sen. Salazar, along with several others in Denver and the state are working hard on the issue."

After the call, "He came away concerned," Wertz said. "He said the odds were 50-50 and that's why there are several people, including Sen. Salazar working hard to get the convention."